South Paris, ME · standard
ZIP Code 04281
Oxford County, Maine - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 5,116
- 49/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $75,137
- Median income Near-median income area
- $240,400
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 28.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
South Paris pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 45%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 45%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 49
- people per sq mi
- 60%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 04281 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 04281 (South Paris, ME) rose +21.5% from 2023 to 2024.
ZIP code 04281 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in South Paris, Oxford County, Maine, home to 5,116 residents across 105.1 square miles, a density of 49 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 04281 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $75,137 (2% above the average Maine ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,381. The poverty rate is 12.5%, with unemployment at 1.5%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $240,400 (15% below the average Maine ZIP); owner occupancy is 60.2%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 28.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.2, and the average commute is 22 minutes. The page also surfaces 8 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Oxford County, so 04281 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 04281
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in South Paris, ME
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 04281.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
25 establishments
- Construction
Construction
20 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
17 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
16 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
10 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 04281, South Paris, ME · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
5,116
Population
105.1
Area (sq mi)
49
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 04281?
48.2
Median Age
47.8%
Male
52.2%
Female
0.5%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$75,137
Median Household Income
+2% vs state ZIP avg
$33,381
Per Capita Income
12.5%
Poverty Rate
1.5%
Unemployment Rate
22.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 04281 ranks among Maine ZIPs
South Paris, ME household income vs. every Maine ZIP code
Median household income among 395 reporting Maine ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$75,137 Top 38% higher than 62% of 395 Maine ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Maine ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
2,746housing units
2,746
Total Housing Units
2,200
Occupied Units
546
Vacant Units
2.33
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$240,400
Median Home Value
-15% vs state ZIP avg
1981
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 139 business establishments in ZIP 04281, employing approximately 1,887 people with a combined annual payroll of $93,957,000.
139
Businesses
1,887
Employees
$94.0M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 25 | 18.0% |
| Construction | 20 | 14.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 17 | 12.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 16 | 11.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 10 | 7.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 9 | 6.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8 | 5.8% |
| Manufacturing | 6 | 4.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 6 | 4.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 6 | 4.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 4 | 2.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 2.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 2.2% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 04281 vs 04271 →
ZIP 04281 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 04270
Oxford (04270)
5,880 residents
- 04281
South Paris (04281)
5,116 residents
- 04268
Norway (04268)
5,023 residents
- 04220
Buckfield (04220)
3,077 residents
- 04256
Mechanic Falls (04256)
3,064 residents
- 04289 1,815
West Paris (04289)
1,815 residents
- 04238 1,416
Hebron (04238)
1,416 residents
- 04292 948
Sumner (04292)
948 residents
- 04271 67
Paris (04271)
67 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 04281 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 04281 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 04238
Hebron (04238)
$92,550 median income
- 04220
Buckfield (04220)
$79,750 median income
- 04281
South Paris (04281)
$75,137 median income
- 04270
Oxford (04270)
$74,241 median income
- 04256
Mechanic Falls (04256)
$69,914 median income
- 04292
Sumner (04292)
$57,750 median income
- 04289
West Paris (04289)
$56,324 median income
- 04268
Norway (04268)
$54,342 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 04281 ranks #3 of 8 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 04281, both outside ME so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (5,116 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Oxford County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 04281 in?
ZIP code 04281 (South Paris) is located in Oxford County, Maine. Oxford County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/oxford-me.
What is the population of ZIP code 04281?
ZIP code 04281 in South Paris, ME has a population of 5,116 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 04281?
The median household income in ZIP 04281 is $75,137, which is 2% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 04281?
The median home value in ZIP 04281 is $240,400, which is 14% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 04281?
The largest racial group in ZIP 04281 is White at 95.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 04281?
ZIP code 04281 has 139 business establishments employing approximately 1,887 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 04281?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 04281 are: Retail trade (25), Construction (20), Other services (except public administration) (17). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 04281?
In ZIP code 04281, 65.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 28.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 04281?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 04281 is 22.3 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 04281?
In ZIP code 04281, approximately 60.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 39.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 04281?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 04281 is 12.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 04281's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 04281 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where South Paris, ME ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.